CHAPTER 5

Chapter 5
The outer edge of the city had a different rhythm—one that pulsed softly under the fading warmth of the sun.
Ren Asakura walked quietly along the narrow shopping district, his eyes not on the crowd, but somewhere far beyond them. The air was thick with the scent of freshly grilled food and simmering broth. Mothers guided children through produce stalls, shopkeepers called out their final discounts for the day. It was warm… almost peaceful.
But none of that warmth reached him.
Ren’s steps didn’t slow. His mind was focused on something else entirely—something he couldn’t name, only feel.
A thread.
A clue.
A memory that refused to fade.
After a few blocks, the colors began to drain from the world around him. He turned down a narrow alley—one blocked from the light, swallowed by shadows cast by tall buildings. The cheerful clamor of the market faded into a hush.
This part of town didn’t want to be found.
And yet, he came here anyway.
Deeper into the alley… until a pair of footsteps echoed from the darkness ahead.
Two men stepped out, faces tense. Even in the dim light, Ren recognized them immediately—names he'd seen in an article just last night. Wanted men. Minor players, but connected to something larger.
Their eyes narrowed the moment they saw him.
Oddly… they recognized him too.
Ren spoke first, calm and steady. “Do you know anything… about the Kyo family?”
No answer. Just the quiet scrape of metal.
A knife drawn.
They didn’t speak. They didn’t threaten.
They just charged.
Ren’s hand clenched.
“I don’t want to fight,” he muttered. “Just talk.”
But the blades came anyway.
The narrow alley lit with metal flashes and hurried breath. Ren moved instinctively—his body reacting to lessons long burned into his bones. He deflected the first strike, spun to knock the weapon from the attacker’s hand. Pain shot through his shoulder where the second grazed him—but he gritted his teeth and landed a swift blow to the side.
The men stumbled.
Panic bloomed in their faces.
And then—they ran.
Ren chased them.
His legs moved before he could think. The ache in his muscles forgotten. All that mattered was the thread.
He had to pull it.
Elsewhere in the city, the world still spun in its ordinary rhythm.
Rika Hayami laughed with her friends, neon lights blinking above them in the arcade. Bright screens and loud music painted color across their faces as they battled in rhythm games and crane machines.
But her laugh was half-hearted.
Something tugged at her chest.
Those hands… trembling. His eyes...
She had seen fear before, but never in someone like Asakura—not in someone who seemed so void of emotion. The way his hands trembled at the playground, the way his face twisted in fear… it wouldn’t leave her mind.
“Rika? Hello?” Ami waved her hand.
Rika blinked.
“Huh?”
“You’re spacing out.”
“…Sorry. Just thinking.”
Ami raised an eyebrow but didn’t press.
Just then, a group of boys from their class appeared behind them.
Rika’s shoulders tensed.
It was supposed to be just the four of them. Casual. Safe.
“Wait—you invited them?” she whispered to one of her friends.
“They were nearby,” her friend smiled awkwardly. “It’s more fun with more people, right?”
Rika bit the inside of her cheek. One of the boys—confident, smug—approached her.
“Want to go check out that VR booth with me?” he asked, leaning a little too close.
“No,” Rika said sharply, eyes cold.
The boy blinked. “It’s just for fun—”
“I said no.”
Ami quickly intervened, laughing it off and guiding the boy away before he could argue more.
Rika sighed. This is why I’ve never bothered with relationships…
By the time they all walked toward the station, the sun had slipped behind the skyline. The streetlamps buzzed faintly to life. Shadows stretched across the pavement.
“Let’s part here,” one friend said. “It’s getting late.”
Just as Rika nodded, a blur of motion shot past them—two men running, sweat on their brows, panic in their stride.
Everyone turned in surprise.
“What was that about—”
Then he appeared.
Ren.
Running. Focused. Breathless.
He didn’t see them until the last second.
His shoulder collided with Rika’s.
She stumbled—then both of them hit the pavement.
Hard.
The train doors hissed closed behind the men. Ren scrambled to his feet, panting. His eyes darted toward the tracks—too late.
The train pulled away.
Rika stared up from the ground, dazed.
Ami helped her up.
One of the boys growled, furious. “What the hell?! She could’ve gotten hurt!”
He lunged toward Ren, fists clenched.
Ren’s eyes flicked toward him—not in fear, but tired recognition.
The punch came wide. Ren dodged without effort, and with a single motion, returned a clean shot to the boy’s stomach.
The boy dropped.
Groaning.
Rika’s friends gasped.
Ren turned toward them—not angry. Just… tired.
“…Sorry,” he said simply.
And walked away.
No explanation.
No excuse.
Rika’s heart pounded as she watched his back vanish down the street.
Something was happening.
Something no one else could see.
But she could feel it—burning quietly beneath his silence.